Metro Transit cop shoots man dead amid abduction investigation

A Metro Transit Police officer killed a man in a shootout Wednesday that stemmed from a bizarre abduction attempt in Northeast D.C. days earlier.

A woman was waiting for a U8 bus on the 4100 block of Minnesota Avenue about 6:15 p.m. Sunday -- during daylight hours -- when a silver Mercedes carrying two men pulled in front of the bus, blocking its path, Metro spokesman Dan Stessel said.

One of the men told the woman he was a police officer who was giving out free rides. He then ordered her into his car. When she said no, the man attempted to grab her, Stessel said.

The woman ran onto the bus and told him she was calling 911. The car sped off, but someone there wrote down the car's license plate.

Then on Wednesday, a Metro Transit police detective investigating the case tracked down a "person of interest" to the 7000 block of Lory Lane, about three miles from the New Carrollton Metro station in Prince George's County. About 12:30 p.m., he came into contact with the person he was looking for, Stessel said.

The man fired shots at the officer, Stessel said, and the officer fired back. Some of the windows on the officer's vehicle were shot out.

The man was hit and died at the scene.

The detective, who joined Metro five years ago, was not injured, Stessel said.

Neither Metro, nor Prince George's County police released either of the men's names, saying that the investigations were ongoing and they were still notifying the dead man's family.

It was the first shooting involving Metro Transit Police since 2008 when Metro officers provided backup to Virginia State Police after a car chase, according to Metro.

Prince George's County authorities are investigating, while Metro conducts its own internal investigation, Stessel said. The officer has been placed on administrative duty, which is standard after officers are involved in a shooting. Meanwhile, the investigation into the attempted abduction also continues.